Ennis on NBA money

[OburgOrange]

That just might be the smartest thing any G-TOWN graduate said...

He graduated?

 

[OburgOrange]

That just might be the smartest thing any G-TOWN graduate said...

He graduated?

 

[cuseattle]

I hope he gets a chance to coach. Ewing might do ok with the right opportunity.

 

[Knicks411]

You love pounding that drum into the ground.

And personally, I think you are completely off target.

I think there's a segment of the fan base that it's true for. I have no idea how large it is but it's hard not to read posts/twitter etc and not come away with that idea.

 

[RF2044]

I think there's a segment of the fan base that it's true for. I have no idea how large it is but it's hard not to read posts/twitter etc and not come away with that idea.

I don't get that impression. I do get the impression that some care more about their fan rooting interests over our players' financial best interests, but that's a far cry from actively rooting for them to fail.

 

[Cuse House]

Do you live off of $50k/yr or less? It is easy to tell other people to do that, but do you? The thing is you can't just put that money in the bank. In today's zero interest environment, there is no return. And inflation eats away at it every year. By that 20th year, that $50k will probably be poverty level. That's a fine life, isn't it?

Also remember that he left after one year, so he doesn't have a degree to fall back on. Can he go get one now? Sure, but that won't fit well into that $50k/yr budget.


He isn't asking for your sympathy. This is what they call a cautionary tale. This is him telling would be NBA players that the life of most NBA players is not what most people think it is. It is an expensive lifestyle. That is all. Anyone with any sense already knows this to be true. The endless list of bankrupt ex-professional sports players is evidence enough for that. But that still leaves a lot of people who don't truly understand that life isn't just one big party once you reach the NBA or any other professional sport.

IMO, the only ignorant statement I see, is the one you made.

So what if he lived off of 100k for 10 years instead? The money is good regardless. Only 20% of Americans make six figures. The problem isn't the money it is that these pro athletes try to keep up with their buddies who spend their money like fools.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

So what if he lived off of 100k for 10 years instead? The money is good regardless. Only 20% of Americans make six figures. The problem isn't the money it is that these pro athletes try to keep up with their buddies who spend their money like fools.

I'm surprised it's even that high - 20%? Wow.

 

[Cuse House]

I'm surprised it's even that high - 20%? Wow.

My post was misleading, my apologies. It is 20% of households is what I meant to say. So in reality, the number is much lower as far as individuals go. The top 1% make approximately $430,000 in the United States, where Ennis falls.

 

[RandygoCuse]

Well we've had Devendorf, Mookie Jones and Derrick Coleman come back to school to finish up - granted Derrick didn't leave school early. Regardless of if they do, they have the option if they want to.

Coleman falls into the bankruptcy category too

 

[EastCoast2]

According to Wiki:
As a result, 20.4% of households have six figure incomes, even though only 6.61% of Americans had incomes exceeding $100,000 in 2010.

 

[cuseattle]

So what if he lived off of 100k for 10 years instead? The money is good regardless. Only 20% of Americans make six figures. The problem isn't the money it is that these pro athletes try to keep up with their buddies who spend their money like fools.

Get out of the town.

 

[IthacaMatt]

I feel so bad for him. Tough life he has going in there.

Well a lot of people post on here that going in the first round is life changing money. That's the point. These guys think they are "RICH!!" - and the reality of it is that they're not rich, or even that close to being rich.

You buy a house and pay your taxes, and as I have said a hundred times, if you don't get that second contract, your career is pretty much over, and you're moving overseas. You can't make a living on the $25,000 they pay the guys in D-League. You can't rent an apartment and cover your travel expenses with so little money.

 

[IthacaMatt]

More than 99.9% of people make in 2 years...

Most people don't have their earnings history end in the early to mid 20s.
Most people work 30-40 years, not 3 or 4, if they're lucky.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Not everyone would like to live in California. Lots of us are happy with upstate NY. We don't need $15 latte's and massage therapists, and yoga instructors and personal trainers. You couldn't pay me an NBA salary to live in California with all of the problems in that state.

Well, you're not going to be a professional athlete and live in Syracuse, NY. Go take a look at how much it costs to live in most major league cities in this country. If that's the job you want, that's the cost of living you have.

 

[IthacaMatt]

I get both sides...he is saying his current contract doesn't set up him for life..and that is a true statement.

But in a country where it would take the entire working life of an individual earning the median salary to earn what Ennis earns in 2 years, I can also see why that statement doesn't engender much sympathy...

I don't think the intended audience for his comments was working class guys; it was the kids in college who are considering coming out early - "even if you go in the first round, this isn't nearly as much money as you think it is". I see nothing wrong with that, if you understand who his message is for.

 

[SWC75]

I get both sides...he is saying his current contract doesn't set up him for life..and that is a true statement.

But in a country where it would take the entire working life of an individual earning the median salary to earn what Ennis earns in 2 years, I can also see why that statement doesn't engender much sympathy...

Was it your opinion he was asking for sympathy?

I agree totally with the first view and don't think the second point has any relevance to what he said.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Well a lot of people post on here that going in the first round is life changing money. That's the point. These guys think they are "RICH!!" - and the reality of it is that they're not rich, or even that close to being rich.

You buy a house and pay your taxes, and as I have said a hundred times, if you don't get that second contract, your career is pretty much over, and you're moving overseas. You can't make a living on the $25,000 they pay the guys in D-League. You can't rent an apartment and cover your travel expenses with so little money.

D League players are housed while they're under contract.

 

[Ward]

Most people don't have their earnings history end in the early to mid 20s.
Most people work 30-40 years, not 3 or 4, if they're lucky.

But their earnings don't end in their early to mid 20's. They can still go overseas and make very good money for awhile and then have a great foundation of earnings to help make things comfortable while they go get a job like "most people".

 

[bozophobe]

But their earnings don't end in their early to mid 20's. They can still go overseas and make very good money for awhile and then have a great foundation of earnings to help make things comfortable while they go get a job like "most people".

And most leagues abroad seem to have mercifully short annual schedules, which can free up time for other stuff.

 

[IthacaMatt]

But their earnings don't end in their early to mid 20's. They can still go overseas and make very good money for awhile and then have a great foundation of earnings to help make things comfortable while they go get a job like "most people".

The percentage who can do that is still relatively small. Out of all our former players, we have maybe 8 or so playing overseas right now that I'm aware of.

 

[Ward]

The percentage who can do that is still relatively small. Out of all our former players, we have maybe 8 or so playing overseas right now that I'm aware of.

The scope of the discussion isn't all former players, it's the guys who leave after their freshman or sophomore year. Typically they are a higher tier of player and dont have much of a problem playing in a good gig overseas.

 

[Forza Azzurri]

Was it your opinion he was asking for sympathy?

I agree totally with the first view and don't think the second point has any relevance to what he said.

Never said he was asking for sympathy..but that comment has drawn some pretty derisive comments and I am saying that I can understand why...

 

[billsin01]

Kind of shocking to read some of these posts. This is a 21 year old kid that was wearing Orange 26 months ago, leading us to a #1 ranking in February, and now some old timers are saying he's a spoiled millennial because he doesn't live in a $75k home in Solvay.

That line made me spit my water out ... and I happen to be shooting out a few emails in a starbucks right now, which seems kind of ironic relative to this thread.

 

[Frozen]

$75k home in Solvay.

A cathouse?

 

[billsin01]

As a Pro, they can perfect their game FULL TIME.

I have no dog in this fight but this line of thinking always cracks me up. For one thing, the idea that most of these guys aren't working pretty close to full time on hoops strikes me as farcical. Yes, I realize they have other responsibilities but 3-4 (or even 5) classes a week left me with plenty of time to become an absolute master at Madden football.

Secondly, giving a young kid a bunch of cash and then removing all other responsibilities and supervision isn't always the world's greatest cattle prod to get that kid to work hard.

And lastly, everyone says this but very few people point out that the NBA isn't real patient. Yes, you get to work on your game all day but if you enter the league and you're not ready to contribute -- you better figure it out really quickly or else you are bumping around on a d-league roster for a year or two and then bouncing around europe.

None of this is to say that kids shouldn't jump at the $$ if that's what they want to do. I get it -- I don't always think it is actually the best path and often believe it's a bit short-sighted -- but I'm fine with it. I just don't think 'playing basketball full time' is nearly the advantage or incentive to leave that many people believe.

I also happen to believe Grant improved tremendously from his frosh to soph season -- losing confidence in your jumper is mental and he would have gotten over that as a junior. Even so he was a really impressive player in a really tough league and improved all his rate stats while more than doubling his minutes. I don't watch the NBA but I'd be more inclined to believe that he continued to develop his basketball skill to closer match up with his phenomenal athleticism than he simply took off b/c basketball was his full time job.

 

[billsin01]

I like Ennis but that is just an amazingly out of touch, pathetic comment.

This is a funny post b/c I assume he's answering a question or making a comment in the context of other NBA prospects deciding whether or not to leave school early. In that case it's a salient and mature comment about understanding that $1M doesn't make you donald trump. In fact, I'd argue, that this is really the massive misunderstanding that leads to these kids jumping at the first hint of someone offering them money to play hoops.